Stainless Tikka Bolt Fluting & Coating

[Willie IV]

I just got my stainless Tikka bolt back from LRI. They did the "Pattern A - High Helix" cut and I'm super impressed. Well machined and the surfaces are very smooth and clean. That said, does anyone have a Tikka bolt that they had fluted and left just as it was machined? I've been researching the nitriding and cerakote options but I don't want to sacrifice the smoothness of the action if I don't have to. Am I prone to accelerated pitting/rust issues if I don't put some kind of coating on it? I've read other's posts about stainless Tikkas eventually pitting and showing surface rust.

 

[Lawnboi]

The tikka bolts specifically are pretty hard steel and don’t take to rust easily. The action bodies on the other hand are.

If keeping it factory smooth is your goal I would not coat it with anything.